Self sharpening safety razor



May 29, 1934. A. PAscoo 1,960,952

SELF SHARPENING SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct. 3, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 445v fqCOO SELF SHARPENING SAFETY R. AZOR Filed Oct. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nvenlor ALEX PASCQO.

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Patented May 29, 1934 U l l E S T Application October 3,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in safety razors and more particularly to a self sharpening safety razor.

The primary object of the invention resides in a safety razor of the double edged blade type in which one edge of the blade may be automatically honed during the use of the razor while shaving with the other edge, whereby a keen edge is always maintained on one of the cutting edges for instant use when the other edge becomes dull.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self sharpening safety razor in which the sharpened edge may be positioned for use, and the dull edge or edge to be sharpened may be simultaneously moved into engagement with the honing elements without removing the razor blade from its holder.

A further object is to provide a safety razor in which the friction between a guard roller and the skin of the face of a user while shaving with one edge of the double edged blade, may be utilized for imparting turning movement to a pair of honing rollers for sharpening the opposite or idle cutting edge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a self sharpening safety razor having the above features, which is simple and inexpensive of construction, and easy to take apart and reassemble to permit of the keeping of the same in a clean and sanitary condition.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure l is a side elevational view of my self sharpening safety razor.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view. 7

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7' is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but showing the position of the blade and its correlated parts in a position opposite to that shown in Figure '7.

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

1931, Serial No. 566,770

(Cl. lid-12) Figure 10 is a detail perspective view of the Figure 12 is a detail perspective view of the blade.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the member which serves to hold the blade clamping head down upon the blade.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary sectional elevational View through a slight modified form.

Figure 15 is a top plan view of the same with the blade clamping head and blade removed.

Figure 16 is a perspective View of the blade clamping head per se.

In Figures 1 to 13, inclusive, of the drawings, I have illustrated what I deem to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, and which constitutes a self sharpening safety razor designated in its entirety by the reference character 10. The safety razor 10 includes a razor blade holder comprising a tubular handle 11, one end of which is closed, while the opposite end is extended outwardly on opposite sides as at 12, and thence bent at right angles to provide side walls 13 which constitute a head for the blade and other mechanism presently to be described. Extending the length of the tubular handle 11 and disposed within the same, are inverted L-shaped members 14, the long arms of which are disposed in spaced relation with respect to each other while the short angularly extending arms lie against the outwardly bent portions 12 of the head, and which members serve to strengthen the handle and head and furthermore provide for a support to which the lower end of an actuating lever 15 is pivoted as at 16.

The width of the lever 15 is considerably less than the width of the tubular handle 11 to facilitate of a limited movement of the lever in opposite directions for a purpose to be hereinafter appreciated. The free end of the lever extends within the head of the holder and terminates in a fork thus providing spaced arms or fingers 17 for receiving the blade and its clamping head which will be presently described. The actuating lever 15 is provided with oppositely extending manipulating portions 18 which extend through slots 19 in the opposite side of the tubular handle 11 and which manipulating portions are disposed adjacent the head of the holder. It will thus be seen that by pressing inwardly upon the manipulating elements 18 that the lever may be moved alternately in opposite directions.

J ournaled in the side walls 13 of the head and adjacent opposite ends thereof are guard rollers 20 and 20, respectively, both of which are sub stantially identical in construction in that they are provided with equi-distantly spaced annular flanges 21 which are adapted to contact with the surface being shaved and provide the necessary friction for imparting turning movement to the rollers during shaving for a purpose to be hereinafter presently explained. These rollers may also serve as massage rollers during the shaving operation.

Also journaled in the side walls 13 of the head adjacent the guard rollers 20 and 2c are honing rollers 22 and 22 which may be of steel or other like material capable of producing a sharpened edge upon the cutting edges of a blade. Fixedly mounted on one end of the honing rollers 22 and 22 are gears 23 and 23 while loosely mounted on the opposite ends of the honing rollers are gears 24 and 24, respectively, the loose and fixed gears being oppositely disposed on the respective honing rollers so that the loosely mounted gear of one roller is in alinement with the fixed gear of the other roller for a purpose to be presently explained. The loosely mounted gear 24 is in constant mesh with a gear 25 fixed to one end of the guard roller 20 while meshing with the loose gear 24' on the honing roller 22 is a gear 25 fixedly mounted on one end of the guard roller 20. The gears 25 and 25' are respectively mounted at opposite ends of the guard rollers 20 and 20 and serve as drive gears for imparting reverse turning movement to the respective honing rollers 22 and 22, respectively.

Mounted in the end walls 13 of the head are stub shafts 26, the same being in axial alinement and which rotatably support idler gears 27 and 27, the idler gear 27 being in constant mesh with the fixed gear 23 and the loose gear 24 while the idler gear 2'7 is in constant mesh with the fixedly mounted gear 23 and the loose gear 24. From the description thus far, it will be seen that rotation may be imparted from the respective guard rollers 20 and 20 to the honing rollers 22' and 22, respectively, upon rotation of said guard rollers when in use in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The numeral 28 designates a razor blade of the double edge type, the same providing a pair of rectangular spaced slots or openings 29 through which the fingers 1717 formed on the free end of the actuating lever extend when the blade is in position for use on the holder. The blade 28 is of such width as to cause one of the cutting edges to be extended into cutting position with respect to one of the guard rollers when the opposite edge is in sharpening contact with one of the honing rollers. Fitting on top of the blade 28 is a hollow clamping head 30, the top of which is curved or rounded, while the under side is fiat to rest upon one side of the blade, and the fiat side is provided with rectangular shaped slots 31 which register with the slots 29 in the blade and also permit of the passage of the fingers 17 therethrough. It will therefore be seen that both the heads 30 and the blade 28 are detachably and operatively connected to the actuating lever 15 whereby movement of the lever back and forth will impart a corresponding movement to the blade and its clamping head.

Although I have stated at the beginning of the description that the foregoing explanation applies to the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 13, inclusive, nevertheless the same reference characters may refer to corresponding parts in Figures 14 to 16, inclusive, and the differences between these two forms will be clearly set forth.

In the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to 13, inclusive, I secure the blade and its clamping head in position by a frame member 32 which is clearly shown in Figure 13 of the drawings, and which member comprises a pair of end plates 33 which are bridged and secured together by a pair of cross bars 34, the said bars being respectively disposed adjacent opposite ends of the plates 33 and connected at the top edges thereof. The lower edges of the plate are provided with inwardly extending resilient catches 35, which when the frame is applied to the head of the holder snaps beneath the outwardly extending portion or shoulders 12--l2 of the head. The inner edges of the cross bars 34 are disposed in the path of movement of the clamping heads 30 for limiting the back and forth movement of the head and blade in opposite directions. Also in Figures 1 to 13, inclusive, I employ a swingable frame 36 which is clearly shown in Figure 10 of the drawings, and which comprises a pair of spaced levers 37 provided with openings 38 intermediate their ends and which openings receive the studs 26 in order that the frame 36 is swingably mounted within the head of the holder. The inner end of the levers 37 are bent inwardly and thence upwardly into flanges 39, which flanges are provided with elongated slots 40 which receive pin 41 which is fixedly mounted within the fingers 1'717 of the actuating lever 15. Journaled in the outer ends of the levers 37 are honing rollers 42 and 42, one end of the honing roller 42 being provided with a fixed gear 43, while the opposite end of the honing roller 42 is provided with a fixed gear 43. The honing roller 42 is adapted to be brought into coacting relation with respect to the honing roller 22' and when in such position the gear 43' is in mesh with the gear 23' of the honing roller 22. It will thus be seen that the honing rollers 22 and 42 rotate in opposite directions toward the edge of the blade being sharpened. When the actuating lever 15 is moved to swing the frame 36 to an opposite position as shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, the gear 43 carried by the honing roller 42 will be moved into meshing engagement with the gear 23 fixed to the honing roller 22 whereupon rotation is imparted from the guard A roller 20' to the honing rollers 22 and 42, the said rollers turning in opposite directions toward the cutting edge of the blade being sharpened.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that by the actuation of the lever 15, the razor blade 28 may be shifted back and forth so that one cutting edge of the blade is always disposed in spaced contact with respect to one of the guard rollers at which time the opposite edge of the blade is in position to be sharpened by a pair of coacting honing rollers. As previously stated, rotation is imparted from the guard roller which is in contact with the face of the user and which is transmitted to the honing rollers through the sets of gears. These guard rollers also produce a massage action during the shaving operation and by reason of their construction they provide sufficient friction between the surface being shaved and the rollers as to operate the respective sets of honing hollers. be thoroughly cleaned by removing the frame 32 from the head, at which time the clamping head so and the blade 28 may be removed.

In Figures 14 to 16 inclusive, the construction is quite similar to that shown in the preferred The razor after use may form with the exception that only one side of the edges of the blade are sharpened at a time, and which requires the reversing of the blade to sharpen both of the sides thereof. In this form, the swingable frame carrying a pair of honing rollers such as those shown by the numerals 42 and 42 in the preferred form have been dispensed with, and the blade clamping head is of a slightly different construction. In the modified form, the clamping head is designated by the numeral ,4 and includes a flat underside 4.5 and a rounded or curved outer wall 46. The ends of the clamping head 44 are formed with side plates 4'7, the lower edges of which are provided with. catch elements 43 for snapping engagement with the under side of the head of the holder. Lugs 49 are formed on the inner side of the plates 4'7 for seating in recesses provided in the end walls 13 of the holder head, while slots 50 are provided in the flat Wall 45 to accommodate the movement of the fingers 17 of the actuating lever 15. In this form, the clamping head is not operatively connected with the actuating lever as in the preferred form, and remains stationary, while only the blade 28 is shiftable back and forth for the purposes hereinbefore mentioned.

While I have shown and described what I deem to be the most desirable embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that various changes in construction as come within the scope of theappended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A safety razor comprising a head, honing rollers mounted in said head, a pair of guard rollers mounted in said head, a double edged blade supported within said head, manually operable means for shifting said blade to cause the cutting edges thereof to be brought into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, the edge out of contact with a honing roller being in a position for use, and means for transmitting rotation from said guard rollers to the respective honing rollers upon rotation of said guard rollers.

2. A safety razor comprising a head, honing rollers mounted in said head, a pair of guard rollers mounted in said head, a double edged blade supported within said head, manually operable means for shifting said blade to cause the cutting edges thereof to be brought into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, the edge out of contact with a honing roller being in a position for use, a pair of shiftable honing rollers for alternate coaction with the first mentioned honing rollers upon the actuation of said manually operable means, and means for transmitting rotation from said guard rollers to the respective honing rollers upon rotation of said guard rollers.

In a safety razor, a head, a pair of spaced guard rollers mounted in said head, a double edged blade having its cutting edges movable alternately into operative relation to said guard rollers, honing rollers for the respective cutting edges mounted in said head, a swingable frame, a pair of honing rollers journaled in said frame for coaction respectively with said first mentioned honing rollers, manually operable means for shifting said blades into alternate engagement with said first mentioned honing rollers and for simultaneously swinging said frame to cause the respective honing rollers carried thereby to move into coacting position with the respective first mentioned honing rollers for sharpening both sides of one edge of said blade simultaneously, and means for transmitting rotation to said first mentioned honing rollers and to the respective last mentioned honing rollers from the respective guard rollers.

i. In a safety razor, a head, blade holding means in said head adapted to support a double edged blade therein, a pair of spaced honing rollers mounted in fixed bearings in said head, a pivoted carrier, honing rollers mounted in said carrier for cooperation with said fixed honing rollers and shifting means for imparting a back and forth movement to said blade holding means and to said carrier to alternately cause the edges of a double edged blade held thereby to be moved into sharpening engagement with the respective honing rollers.

5. A self sharpening safety razor comprising a head, a hollow handle extending from said head, a lever pivoted within said hollow handle with the free end thereof extending into said head,

a double edged blade fitting onto the free end of said lever, manipulating elements extending from opposite sides of said lever and through slots provided in said handle to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced honing rollers journaled in said head, whereby actuation of said lever in opposite directions will cause the respective edges of said blade to be moved into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, and means for imparting turning movement to said honing rollers.

6. A self sharpening safety razor comprising a sad, hollow handle extending from said head, a lever pivoted within said hollow handle with the free end thereof extending into said head, a double edged blade fitting onto the free end of said lever, manipulating elements extending from opposite sides of said lever and through slots provided in said handle to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced honing rollers journaled in said head, whereby actuation of said lever in opposite directions will cause the respective edges of said blade to be moved into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, a pair of guard rollers journaled in said head outward of said honing rollers, and means for imparting turning movement from said guard rollers to the respective honing rollers.

'7. A self sharpening safety razor comprising a head, a hollow handle extending from said head, a lever pivoted within said hollow handle with the free end thereof extending into said head, a double edged blade fitting onto the free end of said lever, manipulating elements extending from opposite sides of said lever and through slots provided in said handle to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced honing rollers iournaled in said head, whereby actuation of said lever in opposite directions will cause the respective edges of said blade to be moved into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, means for imparting turning movement to said honing rollers, a carrier mounted pivotally in said head and movable over the outer end thereof, means operatively connecting said carrier with said lever whereby movement of said lever in one direction will impart a swinging movement to said carrier in an opposite direction, a pair of honing rollers carried by said carrier for coaction respectively with said first mentioned honing rollers, and means for imparting rotation to said last mentioned lid honing rollers when they are moved to their respective honing positions.

8. A self sharpening safety razor comprising a head, a hollow handle extending from said head, a lever pivoted within said hollow handle with the free end thereof extending into said head, a double edged blade fitting onto the free end of said lever, manipulating elements extending from opposite sides of said lever and through slots provided in said handle to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced honing rollers journaled in said head, whereby actuation of said lever in opposite directions will'cause the respective edges of said blade to be moved into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, a pair of guard rollers journaled in said head outward of said honing rollers, means for imparting turning movement from said guard rollers to the respective honing rollers, said last means including a gear fixed to one end of each of said guard rollers, the gear on one guard roller being disposed on that end opposite to the end of the other guard roller on which the other gear is fixed, a fixed gear and a loosely mounted gear carried by opposite ends of said honing rollers, the gear of each guard roller meshing with the loose gear of the adjacent honing roller, and idler gears interposed between and meshing with the gears carried by said honing rollers.

9. A self sharpening safety razor comprising a head, a hollow handle extending from said head, a lever pivoted within said hollow handle with the free end thereof extending into said head, a double edged blade fitting onto the free end of said lever, manipulating elements extending from opposite sides of said lever and through slots provided in said handle to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced honing rollers journaled in said head, whereby actuation of said lever in opposite directions will cause the respective edges of said blade to be moved into alternate contact with the respective honing rollers, a pair of guard rollers journaled in said head outward of said honing rollers, means for imparting turning movement from said guard rollers to the respective honing rollers, said last means including a gear fixed to one end of each of said guard rollers, the gear on one guard roller being disposed on that end opposite to the end of the other guard roller on which the other gear is fixed, a fixed gear and a loosely mounted gear carried by opposite ends of said honing rollers, the gear of each guard roller meshing with the loose gear of the adjacent honing roller, and idler gears interposed between and meshing with the gears carried by said honing rollers, a carrier pivotally mounted within said head and operatively connected to said lever, a pair of honing rollers journaled in said carrier, and gears fixed to one end of said last mentioned honing rollers, the gear on one of said last mentioned honing rollers being disposed on the end opposite to the end of the other roller on which the other gear is fixed, whereby said last mentioned gears may be brought into meshing engagement with the respective fixedly mounted gears on said first mentioned honing rollers when said carrier is shifted back and forth upon actuation of said lever.

10. A safety razor comprising a head, a guard roller journaled in said head, a honing roller journaled in said head, a double edged blade, means for supporting said blade in said head with one edge thereof in sharpening contact with said honing roller, and the opposite end extended adjacent said guard roller for use, and means for transmitting rotation from said guard roller to said honing roller when the razor is in use.

11. In a safety razor, reciprocable blade supporting means, sets of honing rollers, and manually operable means for imparting reciprocation to said blade supporting means relative to said sets of honing rollers, a pair of guard rollers, and means for imparting turning movement to said honing rollers upon rotation of said guard rollers.

ALEX PASCOO. 

